Finding Out the Hard Way
by Tuum Est
Summary: Well, it's not like they always remembered the second prince was there but they made a mistake of forgetting him on Jotunheim... for a couple of days. When they do manage to find Loki, they find more than they bargained for and a major secret is revealed. Odin's secret isn't the only secret that will be revealed and a few Asgardians will be finding out the hard way.
1. The Spectacular Misadventure

Chapter One  
_The Spectacular Misadventure_

Sif blamed herself for what happened as they- herself, Thor, and the Warriors Three- made their way back through some of the ruins they had created in Jotunheim. They had come to Jotunheim only a few days earlier on some foolish quest Thor had created and they had forgotten Loki here. She knew that they were forgetting something in the days that Thor had celebrated after their return. It was as if a part of Asgard was missing for those few weeks. She had been half-asleep in her bed on the fifth day when her hand had double-checked to make sure her knife was beneath her pillow and quickly she had remembered what they had forgotten. She had bolted up, wide awake, changed quickly and went off to find Thor and the others. Now they were back, looking for the second prince of Jotunheim. Fandral was talking loudly to the others, his voice carrying over to where she was looking and she was a bit of a distance away.

"Why does he always have to cause such mischief? He knew exactly when we were leaving." Fandral complained. "When we return, we should make sure that there is someone following him."

"No one would take on such a task." Hogun replied grimly, walking away from Fandral to look in a different place.

Sif looked over at Thor who was in front of them and beginning to head to a larger set of ruins. She turned back and saw what looked like a collapsing temple only a few feet away. Sif headed for the entrance as Fandral continued to complain.

Her mind traveled back to their adventure in Asgard. They had left early in the morning. Loki had tried to fool Heimdall and Sif bit back a smirk when Heimdall had called him out for his trick. Even Loki could not trick her brother, Asgard's respected gatekeeper, despite Loki's many attempts to do so. Heimdall knew Loki enough to know what he try. Heimdall gave her a warning look as she passed by him. Heimdall might be Asgard's gatekeeper but he was also her brother. He wanted to keep her safe. Sif kept her head high as Heimdall recited what he would do, if they were in trouble, which was to do nothing but keep Asgard safe. Sif nodded to herself and prepared herself for when the Bifrost was activated.

Sif snapped back into reality as she walked through the collapsing temple slowly, watching the path in front of her and where she was placing her feet. Her hand was gripping her sword tightly. Small pieces of the ceiling fell down behind her but she continued on. She stopped when she saw a large lump of snow. Sif looked behind her once again before continuing forward toward the lump. She nudged it with her foot and let out a small sigh when the snow revealed that nothing was beneath it. She looked at her surroundings. Perhaps, in its day, Jotunheim might have been a beautiful ice kingdom but all that was left now was more and more ruins. She turned to leave when she finally caught a glimpse of him. He was lying near some giant blocks of ice and from what she could tell, he was not breathing.

"Loki!" She hurried over to him. "No, no, no." She murmured to herself as she tried to find a pulse. She was supposed to be a warrior. She was supposed to protect Asgard and its people. She was supposed to protect the princes. "Please, don't be dead." She whispered as she kept looking for a pulse, unable to find one on his cold body. Tears started to fill her eyes. She couldn't fail as a warrior. She needed him alive. She needed him as a warm and living Prince and not as this cold and dead shell.

"Sif?!" Thor's voice echoed off the ice. She looked over her shoulder and saw him rush over. "Sif, we really have to go! Everything is falling apart!" She hurriedly wiped her tears away as he approached came closer. "Loki! Is he...?" Thor trailed off when he hurried over to them. Sif didn't reply back. "Stand back, Sif." She stood up and moved a ways away. Sif watched as Thor raised up Mjolnir and shocked Loki back to life with lightning.

Loki's eyes flew open and he sucked in a deep breath. As he inhaled, his face and skin turned blue while marking appeared all over his skin. His eyes quickly swimming in a deep blood-red color. He exhaled, taking in the scene around him. He backed away frightened as his eyes caught Sif's. "Get away from me!" He hissed at her. "Go back to where you come from!" He backed himself against a pile of ice and began growing in size. He was still small for a Frost Giant but was slightly taller than Thor.

"What magic is this? Enough of such tricks. We're taking you home." Thor explained to his younger brother. Sif stared at Loki, shocked to see him as a Frost Giant.

"I am home! How do you know my name?! I don't know you!" Loki exclaimed. Thor, still thinking it as one of Loki's silly pranks, ignored his brother and grabbed him by the arm. He pulled back when Loki's skin burned him and fell down into the snow below him. "Don't touch me! I am Prince of Jotunheim and I will be treated with respect! Now, the both of you will leave!"

"Brother, this is madness!" Thor yelled angrily, rubbing at his burn. "You're coming home to Asgard!" He pushed himself up out of the snow with Sif's help.

"I am not your brother!" Loki screeched at him. "I am not going to Asgard! You cannot make me leave!"

"Loki, that's enough!" Sif said, finally finding her voice. "Please, just come to Asgard. We can sort everything out there. I am sorry that we forgot you here but now is not the time to try to have your revenge." She reasoned.

Loki's head twitched at the sound of a low growl coming from the ruins behind Sif. Sif and Thor turned at the sound, gripping their weapons tightly upon seeing a large brown and black wolf on top of the ruins, baring its teeth menacingly. "Fenrir, come!" Loki commanded and the wolf hopped off the ruins and made its way over to Loki. It glared at Sif and Thor before laying down in the snow next to Loki. Loki petted the thing affectionately, scratching it behind its ears. "Good boy." He looked over at Sif and Thor. "I will say it once more. I suggest you leave." Fenrir growled darkly, making it clear they were not welcomed here.

"I saved your life and this is how you give your thanks?" Thor stood defiantly in his spot. "If we hadn't come looking for you, you would be dead! If you want to stay here in this cold miserable place, then stay!" He grabbed Sif's arm and began pulling her away. Sif struggled against his grasp, managing to pull herself out of it before they exited the temple.

"We're not leaving Loki here!" She yelled at Thor before he could grab her again. "I don't care how deluded he is! He's coming with us!" She turned and ran straight into Loki. She took a step back startled. Fenrir was behind Loki, another low growl filling the silence.

"I am curious to know. Why do you think that I am of importance to you?" He asked, looking down at them. Sif swallowed hard.

"You are the second prince of Asgard, The God of Mischief and Lies. As a warrior and The Goddess of War, it is my sworn duty to look after you and make sure you are not in any trouble." Sif managed to say as Loki's red eyes bore into her blue eyes. His eyes flickered to Thor before returning to Sif.

"You are small for a Goddess." He mused simply.

"You are small for a Giant." Sif retorted quickly.

Loki chuckled. "You are not as dull as you seem. I have yet to find an opponent worthy enough to challenge me to a battle of wits. Perhaps, you may pose a challenge." Behind Loki, Fenrir growled louder. "Hush, Fenrir." Loki said to the wolf and it did as he commanded. "Fine. I shall go to your Asgard but I will return a fortnight from tomorrow. Do we have a deal?" He asked, extending his hand out towards Sif. She shook it without another thought and Loki extended his hand towards Thor, who shook it reluctantly. "Now, before we leave, I must know who you are."

"He is your brother. Prince Thor of Asgard, son of Odin." Sif said quickly before Thor could say anything. "I am the Lady Sif, daughter of Tyr and warrior of Asgard."

"Well, shall we get going? Lead the way, _Lady Sif_." Loki smiled, testing out the name as he did so.

* * *

New story! :)

I found an old idea and twisted it into this new story. I'm working on the next chapter and hopefully, it will be out by next week. I am still working on the next chapter of _If I Only Could_. I'm still working out some of the problems that I'm running into but I am working on it! So, if you're bored while I'm working on the next chapter for this fic, go check out _If I Only Could_.

Reviews are appreciated and encouraged even if you just want to criticize my writing. Go ahead! It's welcomed! Those who review will get a shout out.

Shout Out: Paula, the Southern Belle. ;)

~TuumEst

Psst! After my author's note, I'll put up a chapter playlist which essentially my way of saying check out some of these songs! (Note: I may reiterate some songs because I like them... a lot.)

Wikked Lil' Grrrls - Esthero  
Drones - Jed Whedon & The Willing  
Remains - Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon  
Rule The World - Take That  
Silence is Violence - Aimee Allen


	2. Closer Than You Think

Chapter Two  
_Closer Than You Think_

Heimdall eyes Loki and Fenrir wearily when Sif and Thor return with him and his pet. He says nothing but Sif can see worry in her brother's eyes. Sif watches the both of them as they make their way to the gates of the Bifrost. Sif stops them before and pulls Thor aside. "Perhaps, we should take the back entrance into the palace? I'm not sure the others will respond positively to seeing Loki as a Frost Giant."

Thor looks over at Loki, who is examining the bridge beneath him. His red eyes seem to be shining brighter than they did on Jotunheim. Thor turns back to her and agrees. He takes them down a less traveled road, one that Loki had shown him, to the back entrances of the palace. The guards grip their weapons tightly and point them at Loki until Thor orders them to stop. They do so reluctantly and Loki only smirks as he passes by them. Thor leads them into the throne room where both Odin and Frigga are.

"Loki?" Frigga said as she saw his new appearance. She turned to Odin with concern and worry written on her face. Loki tilted his head curiously.

"And who are you?" He asked this woman, that apparently knew him.

"Loki, this is no time for your tricks." Frigga scolded him, and Loki picked up on her motherly tone. He opened his mouth to speak but Sif beat him to it.

"My queen, Loki says that he has no memory of us or Asgard. He has used an illusion to take on the appearance of a Frost Giant and claims that he is the Prince of Jotunheim." Sif began but Loki interrupted her.

"It is not a claim. It is the truth-" He turned to look over at her. "-and I am a Frost Giant. I have always been a Frost Giant and I am the Prince of Jotunheim. I am Loki Laufeyson." Odin and Frigga exchanged a look which Thor noticed.

"You must be delusional if you think you can fool me!" Sif yelled at him. "You are not the Prince of Jotunheim. You are the Prince of Asgard and you are Loki Odinson.

"A woman like you should really learn to hold her tongue when you are not being spoken too." Loki hissed in her direction. Sif grabbed the knife from her belt and held it against her throat.

"You should learn to hold your tongue or I will cut it off, Prince of Lies!" She hissed back at him angrily. He smirked at her amusedly, his gaze casted downwards. Fenrir growled at her from beside Loki. Sif gripped the knife harder and pressed it ever so slightly against his neck.

"You should be more aware of your surroundings, Lady Sif, or would you prefer this in your heart?" Sif glanced down slowly and spotted a dagger made of ice against her chest. In fact, his whole hand was coated in ice. Sif glared at him before she lowered her knife and replaced it on her belt. "You will indeed prove to be a worthy opponent." Loki retracted his dagger and turned away from her. Everyone around them had grabbed their weapons, arming themselves in case anything would happen. "Apparently, I make everyone feel a bit unsafe. I wonder why that is." His statement was directed at the Allfather standing near his throne and a smirk on his face.

"Lower your weapon. He means no harm. He only wishes to cause a bit of mischief." The Allfather demanded. Everyone lowered their weapons slowly. "Guards will you please leave us." They left slowly and it was only until all of them were gone did Odin speak. "Lady Sif, I can understand why you may be skeptical of what Loki is saying but on this day, he speaks the truth." Sif was too stunned to speak.

"What?! This cannot be!" Thor exclaimed. "Loki is not my brother? You lied to us."

"No, Loki is your brother!" Frigga interrupted. "We have raised him as your brother since his arrival here. He may not be your brother in blood but he is still your brother. We have never treated him any different than you just because he was not born here." Loki watched the scene carefully, trying to analyze everything.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner? What were you planning to do when you had to make a decision for the throne?" Thor asked. Frigga shared another look with Odin. "You were never going to give him the throne, were you?"

"Thor-" Frigga began, walking down the stairs to be closer to her sons.

Thor was outraged. "No! You always planned to make me king when Father decided to step down. What were you planning to do with Loki?"

"I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day." Odin explained. "Perhaps, we could have brought about a permanent peace through Loki becoming king of Jotunheim. Those plans-"

"-no longer matter." Loki interrupted. "No offense but I'm not waiting around to be used like some plaything. Whatever you plan you can do that with your own child. You can't just take me from my home and expect to use me for your own whims."

"Loki, please." Frigga pleaded.

"Loki is right." Sif agreed. "All these years, you've lied to him. You let him believe he is someone who he isn't. He may be the God of Lies but you've lied more than he has. You let him be exposed to all the biased opinions about Jotunheim and if he had found out in some other way than the way he has- His reaction could have been terrible."

"Why? Because I'm the monster parents tell their children about at night?" Loki retorted, his eyes flashing between red and green. "You know, it all makes sense now! Why you favored Thor all these years because no matter how much you claimed to love me. You could never have a Frost Giant sit upon the throne of Asgard!" His eyes stayed green for a moment longer before they faded back to red. Everyone was surprised by his reaction. "I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from." Fenrir growled next to him as Loki rubbed his eyes. "Hush, Fenrir. We should all should retire."

"Lady Sif, please show my son to his room." Frigga asked the still slightly stunned warrior.

Sif nodded slowly and motioned for Loki to follow her. Fenrir followed behind them, ears alert to all sounds. "I seemed to have caused quite a commotion with my presence, haven't I?" Loki asked her as they headed toward his room.

"You always do." Sif said quietly.

"So... This is Asgard. It is quite magnificent. Do you have a room in the palace or do you live outside these golden walls?" Loki began, steering the conversation away from himself.

"All the warriors have a room here in the palace. My room is less extravagant as a prince's room." Sif explained as they turned down a corridor.

"How do you know what a prince's room is like?" Loki asked curiously.

Sif crossed her arms in front of her. "I was angry at you once and stormed into your room, destroyed a few things. I saw a good part of your room." Fenrir growled at her again. "Does your pet always do that?"

"Fenrir is a good pet. He's only protective of me." Loki waved his hand about as if it was a trivial matter. "He'll be your best friend if you pet him and scratch him behind the ears. He's just a big fur ball."

"Well, this is your room." Sif said, pointing toward his door.

Loki thanked her and entered his room. Sif turned and headed for her room when Loki's door opened. "Wait. What if I need something in the middle of the night?"

Sif turned around to look at him. "You could just ask a serv-" Sif stopped and realized that may not be the best of ideas. "My room is down this corridor, turn left, go straight and the door at the end is mine."

"Door at the end, right." Loki repeated. "So, what does tomorrow entail? Today was very eventful."

"We'll go to the training grounds tomorrow." Sif told him, turning back around and leaving. "Good night, Loki."

"Good night, Sif." Loki murmured with a smile as he closed the door.

* * *

From the moment he stepped into Asgard, he felt out of place. He felt like a piece that belongs to a different puzzle. A puzzle that is on Jotunheim. Everything here in Asgard- it whispers at him, whispering, "Remember?" He closes his eyes and tries to block out the sounds- there is such a loudness. A loudness around him, consuming him almost violently. This place is too loud for him- too loud. Out of everything and everyone around him, it is Sif that troubles him the most.

Who is this warrior woman that presented herself to him? This person who felt it was her responsibility to keep him safe? Who was she? She was different but she seemed to be in the right place. She didn't make any sense to him. She was so different from the others yet she looked at she belonged. She fits with his puzzle piece but she fits with Asgard's puzzle piece. He doesn't understand it- He can't comprehend it. She shouldn't fit in both place. She can't fit in both place. She's different but she fits. She is a fierce warrior but a simple woman. She is different- different- different like him. She's out of place but belongs.

He can feel his skin growing hotter and hotter. He opens his eyes and listens to the noises around him. The clash of swords rings in his ears and he can't help but look over at Sif. She's sitting there across the room- smiling, cheering, and concentrating on the fight before her. An emotion builds up within him as he takes a deep breath. He can't quite describe it. There's just something about her that can make his hear beat faster, his face to fluster, the feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He leaves before the fight is over because for some reason he can't stand being so close- so far from- to her with this emotion in him.

He walks away quickly. He can't hardly breathe. He feels like he can't- he can't. He sits down in the garden underneath the shade of a tree. It is so much calmer and peaceful here. It calms him. Loki lays back on the grass. He stares up toward the branches of the tree when a memory comes to him. It's vague and unclear. He can't make out the people or where he is but he hears laughter and feels joy. It's just a memory. A happy memory- a good memory. He closes his eyes and he can almost see the memory in front of him. Almost as if he could just- just-

"Loki?" A voice whispers and his eyes fly open. He can feel the rush of cold flowing inside of him regaining control over the hot. Loki sits up and looks toward where he heard the voice. Sif is kneeling beside him, looking slightly disappointed.

"What are you doing here?" He questioned her, the thumping in his heart returning. "You should be with the others."

"I was- I-" Sif stuttered. "I was only making sure you were alright. You looked like something was upsetting you." Sif said slowly. Loki could see there was something else she wanted to say- something on the tip of her tongue.

"And you noticed something else?" He asked her. Sif avoided his gaze for a moment.

"You looked-" She held her breath for a moment. "-normal. Pale skin, green eyes. You looked-"

"Asgardian?" He murmured, looking down at his blue hands. "No, I couldn't have."

"I saw you. You were Asgardian just for a moment before the Jotun part of you took over again." Sif explained. "What were you doing here?"

"I was thinking mostly. There was a memory. I almost- I couldn't see anyone or anything but I could hear. I could hear laughter and there was joy. I felt joy." Loki told her.

"You were happy?" She asked and he nodded. "You felt happiness. What else was there? What other thoughts?"

Loki stared at his hands for a moment. "There was only that when I was here but before- Before I was here, I was thinking of you. I was trying to figure you out." He said truthfully. "You don't make any sense to me. You are a beautiful woman. You could have chosen a better life but you chose a life of solitary. A life as a glorified warrior and not just as a glorified warrior but as the Goddess of War. You are so excellent at being a warrior and fighting in wars that they decided to make you the Goddess of it. You don't seem like you should belong here but you do. That's what troubles me. You are very troubling-" He was cut off by Sif's lips against his own. He was surprised and pulled back away from her. Heat rushed to his cheeks as he blushed at her actions. Her own cheeks were flushed.

"You're normal again." She whispered and Loki looked down at his hands. They were no longer blue but completely pale skin. He pushed up his sleeves and saw only pale skin there too.

"What did you do? Do you have a magical kiss or something?" He asked her, gently touching his lips.

Sif blinked and realized what she had done. "I'm so sorry- I shouldn't have kissed you- It-" Sif stuttered. "I'm not magical at all. I don't understand why that happened. I don't normally-" Loki cut Sif off this time with a kiss. He pulled back but only just slightly. "Why-?" She asked breathlessly.

"It just felt right. You know? I don't understand why it does but kissing you just felt right." He replied. "Perhaps, I shouldn't have kissed you back but you kissed me first. I only reacted to your actions." He pulled away more.

"You were complimenting my character. I didn't think about what I was doing, I just did what I wanted." Sif said defending herself.

"So what do you want now?" He stared at her.

Sif broke eye contact with him. "I want-"

* * *

**Shout Out to the Reviewers:** Lady Yurra-pptusachan, lederra, Sunshine-Midnight123, anastacianott, Guest, and murdur.  
(And Meg for when she actually reads this [which is eventually.].)

Sorry for the lateness, I was dealing with some issues but I'm issue free now that it is summer!

Well, left this chapter on a bit of a cliffhanger. Which leaves the question what does Sif really want? Review and let me know what you think it could be!

~TuumEst

**Music Playlist:**

Running Up That Hill - Placebo  
Ships in the Night - Mat Kearney  
You Will Be Mine - Lenka  
I'm Not Your Toy - La Roux  
Bad Girls - Vanilla Ninja


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